Russia is a country with beautiful landscape, historic architecture, and great resources. It is a country with long and unique hunting history. You will explore a new part of the world and meet great people here. It is a great destination for big game hunters, offering huge diversion of wildlife and geography, hard to reach locations, excellent guides and unusual cultural experience. Many locations, depending on a season and geography offer combination hunts. Here are our 3 reasons to go to Russia in search of game and adventure.
Why Russia
1. Variety and abundance of game
Russia’s forests, rivers, and towering mountains teem with an incredible diversity of fish and wildlife
2. Affordability
Because of recent economic changes and today’s currency exchange rates, hunts in Russia are a great value for the international hunter
3. Rich historical legacy and ancient hunting traditions
Russia’s hunting traditions go back to ancient times, and it forms an important theme in the literature of great Russian writers. Russian hunters are proud of the cultural legacy of the hunt, which persists to this day
A bit more about hunting in Russia
Russia, the largest country in the world in terms of land area, spans eleven time zones and two continents, covering the major part of Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It contains the largest freshwater lake in the world, the Baikal, and Europe’s tallest peak, Mount Elbrus. A variety of climate zones and topography, ranging from broad plains and low hills west of the Urals to vast areas of coniferous forest and tundra in Siberia to the upland and mountain habitat along the southern border regions, means hunters have a tremendous variety of game and hunting experiences to choose from. Hunting in Russia is as varied as the terrain, ranging from lodge-based deer and upland bird hunts, to bear hunts using snowmobiles, to rugged hike-in snow sheep hunts in the high mountains.
Russia has five varieties of snow sheep: Kamchatka, Koryak, Okhotsk, Kolyma, and Yakutia; several varieties of brown bears: East Siberian, Amur, Siberian; and three varieties of moose: Kamchatka, Yakutia, and European. The country also offers excellent hunting for Siberian roebuck, maral stag, wolf, lynx, capercaillie, blackcock, and woodcock.
Inexpensive hunts for species as diverse as capercaillie and bears abound, and prices are still comparatively low even for combined hunts in Kamchatka and the Far East for snow sheep and moose.
What you need to know
Visas
A visa is required to visit Russia for holders of US and EU passports. Because the documentation requirements are extensive (they may include a letter of invitation from your outfitter and confirmation of hotel reservations, as well as personal information), allow plenty of time—at least a month—before your trip to take care of this process.
Importing Firearms
Foreign hunters can bring hunting rifles into the country for the duration of a planned hunt, as specified in their outfitter’s invitation. The procedure for receiving an import permit generally takes at least a month, so it’s important to send the necessary documents to your outfitter well in advance. It’s extremely important that the model and serial number of the rifle, as well as the amount of ammo you bring (no more than 100 rounds allowed), match exactly the information you provided on the permit. Note that archery equipment and silencers are not allowed for hunting in Russia. You must carry your firearms permit on your person while you are in Russia.
Plan in advance
For most Russian hunting trips, you will make your initial arrival in Moscow. If you are not transferring immediately to a domestic flight, make arrangements in advance for your outfitter or a representative to meet you at the airport and take you to a hotel. Be sure to exchange some currency in the airport or at a Moscow bank so you are carrying cash in rubles, as many rural areas do not accept credit cards. Because most hunts require traveling long distances from Moscow, it’s important to arrange your travel itinerary well in advance of your hunt. Your outfitter can help you with this process; be sure to discuss it with him in detail well before your arrival.
And here comes the fun part
Practically all game in Russia including big game with a few exceptions is not managed, meaning that a hunter would have an opportunity to hunt in a natural habitat for the animals which often did not have any exposure to humans. This makes hunting more challenging, but at the same time it makes it more exciting and harvesting a trophy more rewarding experience. Russia is inhabited by 320 species of mammals (animals) and about 730 species of birds. The State Wildlife Fund includes about 60 species of mammals and 70 species of birds that can be hunted.
Without a doubt, a Russian brown bear hunt is the best in the world. The population of brown bears in Russia has been stable for years. According to estimates, its population may approach 140,000, which is more than in any other country. With approximately 500,000 animals, Russia´s moose population is second only to Canada. Moose is widely distributed across the entire 11 time zones and is represented by several subspecies.
Don’t miss your chance, go to BookYourHunt, choose your outfitter, enjoy the pristine beauty of nature, silence, fresh air, mirror lakes and rushing waterfalls. And if there are any questions you still have – we are always there to answer them!
Sincerely yours,
BookYourHunt Team!
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